RENEWAL MESSAGE SYSTEM

• US 20170270533A1
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Virtual Recall Limited
• Original Assignee: Virtual Recall Limited
• Inventors: BARTON, Charles Henry John, CRITTAL, James Gordon Ley
• Application Number:
  US15/514,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20170270533A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system for generating renewal messages for transmitting to remote customers is disclosed. The system comprises at least one memory, storing: for each of a plurality of products, a renewal profile indicating at least a renewal period for the product; and customer data, including SMS contact data and one or more product(s) associated with the customer including an associated reference date. A processor is configured automatically to: generate based on the current date, the renewal profile for each product and the reference date(s) a list of one or more customers for whom a renewal message is required; and generate a single message for the or each customer, which message references multiple product renewals and is formatted to be appropriate to sending as a single SMS message.

Claims

1. A system for generating renewal messages for transmitting to remote customers, the system comprising:

at least one memory, storing;

(i) for each of a plurality of products, a renewal profile indicating at least a renewal period for the product;

(ii) customer data, including contact data and one or more product(s) associated with the customer including an associated reference date;

a processor configured automatically to;

generate based on the current date, the renewal profile for each product and the reference date(s) a list of one or more customers for whom a renewal message is required; and

generate a single message for the or each customer, which message references multiple product renewals and is formatted to be appropriate to sending as a single message.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores for the customer data SMS contact data, and wherein the processor is configured to generate a single SMS message.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the renewal profile for a product stored in the at least one memory comprises:

a product identifier;

a renewal period; and

an advance period,

and wherein the processor in generating the list of customers is configured to perform the steps of, for each product,

using the renewal period and advance period for the product to determine a comparison reference date;

identifying from the customer data those customers having the associated product identifier and a match between the comparison references date and the customer reference date,

where after matches are added to the customer list, including the relevant product identifier.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the customer data reference date is a purchase/invoice/reminder date for the product stored on an electronic records/invoicing system.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the customer data reference date is received by initiating a periodic data request to an external computer program or system.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising providing a SMS message template comprising a standard message and one or more data entry fields into which the processor automatically populates renewal data.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of SMS message templates is provided dependent on context, e.g. number of renewals.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the memory further stores, as part of, or associated with, the customer data, the identity of a storage container associated with one or more respective customers, and is configured responsive to receiving an electronic message initiated by said storage container to include in said generated message a reference to a product renewal, which product is associated with the user or storage container.

14. A system according to claim 1, further configured to receive a pairing message received from a remote location containing an indication of a customer identifier and a storage container identifier, and to update the customer data automatically to include the storage container identifier, wherein the pairing message further contains a product identifier or code, which is updated to the customer data or associated with it.

34. A system according to claim 13, further comprising the storage container for containing material, said storage container comprising a sensor for detecting or estimating the quantity of material held within it, a data identifier associated with the storage container, and a wireless transmitter for transmitting a message indicative of the data identifier and the quantity of material held within the container, wherein the said sensor comprises a weighing scale.

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16. A method for generating renewal messages for transmitting to remote customers, the method comprising:

(1) storing;

(i) for each of a plurality of products, a renewal profile indicating at least a renewal period for the product;

(ii) customer data, including contact data and one or more product(s) associated with the customer including an associated reference date;

(2) generating,. based on the current date, the renewal profile for each product and the reference date(s) a list of one or more customers for whom a renewal message is required; and

(3) generating a single message for the or each customer, which message references multiple product renewals and is formatted to be appropriate to sending as a single message.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the storing step stores customer SMS data and the generating step generates a single SMS message.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein the renewal profile for a product comprises:

a product identifier;

a renewal period; and

an advance period,

and wherein the generating the renewal profile comprises, for each product,

using the renewal period and advance period for the product to determine a comparison reference date; and

identifying from the customer data those customers having the associated product identifier and a match between the comparison reference date and the customer reference date,

where after matches are added to the customer list, including the relevant product identifier.

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein the customer data reference date is a purchase/invoice date for the product stored on an electronic records/invoicing/reminder system.

24. A method according to claim 16, wherein the customer data reference date is received by initiating a periodic data request to an external computer program or system.

25. A method according to claim 16, further comprising providing a SMS message template comprising a standard message and one or more data entry fields into which the processor automatically populates renewal data.

26. A method according to claim 16, wherein a plurality of templates is provided dependent on context, e.g. number of renewals.

28. A method according to claim 16, further comprising storing, as part of, or associated with, the customer data, the identity of a storage container associated with one or more respective customers, and responsive to receiving an electronic message initiated by said storage container to include in said generated message a reference to a product renewal, which product is associated with the user or storage container.

29. A method according to claim 16, further comprising receiving a pairing message received from a remote location containing an indication of a customer identifier and a storage container identifier, and updating the customer data automatically to include the storage container identifier, wherein the pairing message further contains a product identifier or code, which is updated to the customer data or associated with it.

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32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable code, which, when executed by computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

(1) storing;

(i) for each of a plurality of products, a renewal profile indicating at least a renewal period for the product;

(ii) customer data, including contact data and one or more product(s) associated with the customer including an associated reference date;

(2) generating based on the current date, the renewal profile for each product and the reference date(s) a list of one or more customers for whom a renewal message is required; and

(3) generating a single message for the or each customer, which message references multiple product renewals and is formatted to be appropriate to sending as a single message.

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